Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-01-22
The LAST SHOT.

| 1864, the war in that quarter Yves practically
, over. 1t was over, in the sense that never
| again did Confederate infantry force
| appear in arms i'll the Lower Valley; in
deed, there was no more infantry fighting
| in the whole region from Lexington to
! Harpers Ferry. But for time, until the
| winter set ip-and that was a severe season
in the Shenandoah, with as much cold ice
and snow as would have made q respe Ct
| able winter anywhere at the North-until
/ then, the Confederate cavalry we're busy,
| aggressive and troublesome. They kept
| up their forays till the following spring. In
| such wretched weather as seemed to make
| campaigning impossible, C large body of
them skipped away off to the West, and
surprised and captured the important post
| CT New Creek, the commanding officer of
which was cashiered in consequence. As
| late as March, 1865, q party of these dare
| devils, dressed in blue overcoats, passed
the pickets outside of Cumberland, away
up near the Pennsylvania Inc, rode into
| the city, captured Generals Crook and
Kelly at their headquarters, and actually
| got away with them before there was either
alarm or suspicion, though there were not
less than five thousand Union troops in
| and about the place! l mention these
things to show the boldness and adroitness
of these rough riders, and as fitting pre-
| face to an account of the last conflict of
arms in which l took part, with some Incl
dents accompanying it which cannot fail to
| be of interest.
Our army lay in its old camps on the
| Cedar Creek battle ground about three
weeks, getting clothed, paid, and generally
! shaped up for more service. The Sixth
| Corps was returned to the Army of the Po-
| tomac; and the distance from Harper
| Ferry being too great for supplies to be
| hauled, General Sheridan ordered q move
| ment back about ten miles. The new
camps were on the pike little north Of
Newtown, long, struggling Virginia viii
lage, mostly in a single street on the turn
pike. There is bend in this street at
about the first third of it, and the street
| beyond can not DO seen by those coming
| from the north until this bend is passed. l
mention this peculiarly, as it had some-
thing to do with the incident that gives title
| to this sketch.
The weather for some days after our new
camps were established was glorious the
mir clear and crisp, the sun shining with q
| tempered light, and the soft haze of the
| distance not concealing the giant mountain
| walls which lowered up east and west. At
this time was serving on the staff of Gen
| aral Dwight, commanding an infantry divis-
! ion. Our headquarter tents were pitched
in the handsome grounds surrounding a
large stone mansion on the west side of the
pike, known as the Barton house. l I'M
derstood that it was then inhabited by n
family of that name; but there were several
children in the family by the name of
| Marshall Their father, We were informed,
was Colonel Marshall, who commanded a
regiment of Virginia cavalry that had been
serving in the valley during the campaign.
The movements of both armies, and the
frequent changes of position, had allowed
| him frequently to visit his children at this
| house, but not since the middle of Sep
TENDER, as our lines had been south of this
place ever since the victory at Winchester
ON the 18th of that month. These chill
dren, though now in the very center of the
Union camps, still looked eagerly for their
father, and were sure he would come again
| soon.
! How the movements of one day were to
concern them-the day upon which my last
experience of actual fighting was had-will
appear at the close of this sketch.
1t was the 18th of November. Our divi-
sion had been in this position long enough
to have become well settled, and to us
about headquarters 1t began to look as
though We were at last to see something of
the ease OF camp-life. But that time had
not yet come. A bOrseman rode rapidly
down the pike, and turned in to our tent
l saw that it was tho field officer of the day.
1.-THE cavalry pickets are firing sharply
up toward Newtown," he sang out to me as
he pulled up. where's the General?"
| ran to the tent of the Adjutant Cen
eral, bright little man and fine soldier,
who is now Captain John G. Leefe, of the
regular army. He knew precisely what to
do, before going to the General. The
whole staff was routed out; an officer was
sent TO each brigade, with caution to be
ready, and | was dispatched to carry the
news to corps headquarters, mile in the
rear.
| rode in those days strong active ami
NAL called "Buckskin," from the peculiar
color of his coat. On such morning and
on such road as the valley Pike" a
swift gallop of mile each way was some
thing to remember. Some of the officers
on General Emorys staff were well known
to me, and | was recognized as | came
tearing down the road. They had been
comfortably enjoying their breakfast, and
were sitting on camp stools i'll the tent in-
closure, placidly smoking. My informa-
ton starteG hem into activity, and, as it
reached the General, he came out and let
fly his orders right and left.
! lou, 10 one OF Ills stau, go ana report
this to General Sheridan at once. YOU"
to me, Ego back and tell General Dwight
to get his division under arms, and join me
on the picket line. Let the staff mount at
once"
| l made goodhaste back to the stone house,
and found our general and staff about to
, take the saddle. There are some men who
: will have their joke at any time and under
any circumstances. DR.. Romans, of Boston,
our Surgeon, was one of these. Captain
Leefe used to declare that the man was
never happy except when cutting off arms
and legs: but upon this occasion he came
out of his tent pretending TO limp, with his
handkerchief bound around his knee, and
singing dolefully the words:
But oh, yolll not forget me. mother,
II mngle with the sla--a-a--ain."
AS we rode rapidly along, it was interest
ing to observe the stir and hear the hum OF
excitement in the infantry camps on eacf
side of the pike, as the companies fell il
| preparatory to forming line. Further or
we came to a picket reserve, which had in.
geniously surrounded itself with a small
fort of rails from the neighboring fences
within which it could bid defiance to any
cavalry that might attack it. At a bridge
where q small stream crossed the road, {
Quartermaster, partaking of the genera
excitement, was trying to get his train bacl
| TO a place of greater safety, and in so doing
| had, with the aid OF intractable mules, go
his wagons jammed into hopeless huddle
completely blockading the road. Oul
corps commander came up at this inoppor'
tune time, and the unfortunate Quarter.
| master received such left handed BLESSING